Pages

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Every September and February the streets of New York are buzzing with street style photographers, blogosphere A-listers and fashionable wannabes; The occasion is New York Fashion Week and everyone wants a piece of the runway.If you’re feeling major FOMO for fashion month, here’s a story to ease your pain and hopefully make you laugh (not frown with utter disgust).

Earlier this summer I herniated a disc in my lower back and I was not quite able to sit in a chair for more than a few minutes before needing to lay down, so I was a little hesitant to put myself through the rigorous activities of fashion week, but I decided I had to at least try.I was a limping mess but I saw some of my favorite designers and even though I would say the week turned out to be a definite series of awful events, I’m happy I pushed myself to attend - it was definitely an experience I will never forget.

Chapter 1:Heat Stroke

My first show of the season fell on the hottest day of the year and it was absolutely miserable.Between shows I met a friend for lunch and we sat in a cute little café hoping to catch the breeze from a fan and I became so sick to my stomach that I couldn’t eat anything I ordered (including my rosé - the horror).It was so hot that I thought maybe I was dehydrated or having some kind of reaction to the heat.Once I found an Uber with AC, I started to feel a bit better and things were looking up.I was grateful to be on the mend and didn’t think another thing about it…until…

Chapter 2:Front Row Incident

The next day was another amazing show and since I only had moderate pain the first day, I decided to suck it up through another.I stood in line for about an hour and something just wasn’t right.My face was clammy and I was feeling weak in the knees.Finally I finessed my way into the gallery where I could sit down and hopefully gather myself before the show started.I sat down in my front row seat directly in front of the media pit of about 30 photographers all pointed in my direction and suddenly it happened.I threw up.Front row.Into my new Dior bag.In front of a wall of cameras.3 TIMES.

Chapter 3:Missed Connections

Since the music was blaring, the lights were dimmed and I was in a crowd of incredibly self absorbed people, no one saw it happen.I looked around stunned to see that no one had witnessed the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to me (#blessed).I hadn’t eaten anything yet that day but had drank tons of water, so in the end my bag wasn’t completely destroyed and I decided I might as well stay to see the damn show.After talking to my doctor, it seems that one of my medications had caused my nausea.Needless to say, I was a little weary of going to any more shows that week and made the executive decision to skip the last one, which I’m still a little salty about.

Any other person with an ounce of self respect might keep this incident to themselves, but I’m out here making Fashion Week less intimidating one embarrassing admission at a time.And it doesn’t stop there!I gathered some NYFW freebies and swag to send to one lucky reader of Brushstroke a la Modé.The giveaway includes a Christian Cowan bum bag as seen on the runway.To enter, share an embarrassing story, fact, or experience in the comments below and I will pick a winner on Monday, September 24. Please include your Instagram handle so I can reach out with the prize.

Giveaway rules: Giveaway includes a Christian Cowan bum bag, one vintage Vogue print, an art print from me, three sheet masks, a Glam Glow mud mask, Marc Jacobs eyeliner, two eye shadows from Laurence and Chico, Bumble and Bubble thickening spray, a Comme des Garcons patch, and fashion week pins. To enter, share an embarrassing story, fact, or experience in the comments below and I will pick a winner on Monday, September 24. Please include your Instagram handle so I can reach out with the prize.